While Apple Inc.’s relationship with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. gets a lot of attention, the Taiwanese company accounts for only a fraction of the cost of each device it assembles.
The Chinese factories of Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn, put together iPhones and iPads, but high-cost components like chips and screens come from a range of U.S., Taiwanese and South Korean companies.
Research firm IHS iSuppli provides the following cost breakdowns:
_Basic iPhone 4S
Price: $199 with two-year contract
_Cost of components
Memory chips: $28.20
Touch-sensitive display screen: $37
Wireless chips: $23.54
Camera: $17.60
Total cost of materials: $188
What it costs Apple to have the basic iPhone assembled in a Foxconn plant: $8
_Basic iPad
Price: $499
_Cost of components
Memory chips: $30.70
Touch-sensitive display screen: $117
Battery: $32
Total cost of materials: $306
What it costs Apple to have the basic iPad assembled in a Foxconn plant: $10
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